Sewing-machine table-top



(No Model.)

N. A. HULL.

SEWING MACHINE TABLE TOP.

Patented Sept. 15

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UNITED STATES NICHOLAS A. HULL,

OF PERU, INDIANA.

SEWINGQ-MACHINE TABLE-TOP.

QSPECIE'ICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,294, dated September 15, 1885,

Application filed April 28, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS A. HULL, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Peru, in the county of Miami and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machine Tables or Table-Tops; and I do hereby declare'that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan view of a table constructed in accordance with my invention, a portion of the covering and frame being partly broken away; Fig. 2', a sectional view taken on line :0 0c of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a sectional View taken on line y y of same figure. I

The present invention has relation to improvements in tabletops, especially those intended for use on sewing-machines; and it has -for its object to provide a firm structure in which the parts are so placed with relation to each other that the influence of expansion and contraction upon those parts subject thereto will not injure their surroundings. I

Heretofore it has been common to construct sewing-machine tables of a middle piece of soft cheap wood, tongued and grooved to the end and side pieces of the frame, which was composed of walnut or other fine and expensive wood, the grain of the soft-wood portion running crosswise of the table, and an upper and lower veneer placed over the table-top and glued thereto in the ordinary way.

Mosaic floors have also been constructed of a series of parallel bars connected at their ends by means of tongues and grooves to transverse bars or" equal thickness, and secured thereto by gluing. These parallel bars were formed with tongues and grooves along their edges the entire length thereof and connected together throughout their length, after which a thin covering of ornamental wood is glued upon the top of the floor thus formed.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction of the table-tops or floors above referred to, which I attain by connecting the parallel strips or slats to the surrounding frame at their ends only, and not connecting them together as heretofore, but

arranging them with relation to each other so that a space will be left between the strips or slats to permit the slight warping or expansion of each of the strips or slats without affecting the others or injury to the surrounding frame, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the side bars, and B the end bars, which together form the frame of the table-top, and

may be composed of walnut or other fine and in forming a machine-table I prefer to first make the board long enough to provide both the fixed top and the drop-leaf, and at the proper point I form one of the strips or slats, as shown at E, of sufficient width to serve as the meeting bars of the fixed and drop leaves. This slat is preferably formed of the same material as the frame, which is of a wood capable of takinga high finish. The board is cuton the dotted line 6 centrally through the slat or strip E, and usually from the cut edges thereof the two parts are suitably hinged together, as is common in the drop-leaves of sewing-machine tables.

, lVhen the slats or strips are properly secured and the end bars of the frame fixed, the parts are dressed down until both sides are smooth and level, after which the cover-pieces D are secured over the slats or strips to the frame. These cover-pieces are usually veneers, sawed and not sliced, and are of about four times the ordinary thickness, thereby euabling or admitting of their being dressed over several times and renewed.

The ends of the slats or strips may be connected to the side bars of the frame in any well-known manner, and, as will be seen, they are not joined together along their edgeby tongue and groove, as heretofore, but are can be used in any ordinary stage of expan sion or contraction, as, the slats or strips being independent of each other and secured at their ends only, with a space between, as hereinbefore described, they can be used with perfect safety against atmospheric influence.

When the slats or strips of different grainsv of wood are properly spaced apart and the side bars of the frame glued on, the center part of the table-top or other article of manufacture can be kept in stock in all seasons of the year in perfect safety without detriment,

as the air is continuously passing through the spaces.

Having now fully described my invention,

wh t lcl ima Letters Patent, is-

1; In a table-top, the side bars, of a series of parallel slats or strips arranged the required distance apart to form a space between them and connected at their and desire to secure by ends to said bars, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

.2. A table-top consisting of a suitable frame, a series of parallel slats or strips concombination, with nected at their ends to the side bars thereof 5 and arranged the required distance apart to form a space between them, and a covering consisting of veneers connected to the top and bottom thereof, substantially as and for the purpose specified. I

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

NICHOLAS A. HULL. Witnesses:

Norm N. ANTRIM, JAMES M. BROWN. 

